Scorched earth tactics: militants set fields on fire along contact line

Russian-backed militants in Donbas are deliberately setting fire to the fields and forest areas on the line of demarcation in order to push back the Ukrainian forces, said the speaker for the Ministry of Defense on ATO, Oleksandr Motuzyanyk.

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"The enemy continues to widely use incendiary ammunition, resorting to the scorched earth tactics. The militants intentionally use this type of ammo, setting fire to the fields and forest belts on the line of demarcation in order to force the units of the ATO forces out of their positions," Motuzianyk told a Kyiv briefing on Saturday.

In the last few days alone, such incidents were reported near Zaitseve, Katerynivka, Maryinka, Novotoshkivske and Verkhniotoretske. The official noted that the Ukrainian troops made every effort to extinguish these fires, often with a risk to their lives.